Kaskade at Supperclub

I'm not exactly sure how I let this much of my life go by without seeing Kaskade spin, but now that I have I will forever be a fan. He is one of the first DJs I had ever heard of, due to the fact that we are both from the North Shore of Chicago, and for some reason I always seem to miss him when he's in town. But finally he announced a Hollywood club show and of course I was on board!

 I was a bit nervous about attending his show because hours prior he made national headlines when a riot broke out on Hollywood Blvd. after announcing to twitter that he was doing a free "block party" show following the EDC Experience movie premier. Unruly ravers apparently got violent and smothered a cop car, which is the type of behavior you may expect from Korn fans - not the mainstream angelic vocals of Kaskade. However, the mob of crazies eventually cleared out and a much more civil crowd gathered for his Supperclub performance.

I've been to Supperclub on many occassions to see popular DJs such as Donald Glaude and Benny Benassi, but never had I seen the club more packed than it was for Kaskade (and let me remind you that it was a Wednesday). I'd say 50% of the tracks were his own, including his newest hit Eyes featuring Mindy Gledhill. The other half were current popular jams such as SHM's Save The World, his remix of Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, Laidback Luke's remix of Benassi's Cinema, and the Nicky Romero remix of Green Velvet's Flash.

Some of the highlights included Will.I.Am coming up on stage, as well as Paris Hilton, along with the dozens of face-painted gogo dancers and acrobats. But the best part was getting to go up in back where the lasers are controlled and learn how to change the colors and patterns of the lights. Damn, do I give a mean light show! :)

Another epic night for the books...

Avicii at Music Box

Friday night was my second time seeing up and coming producer Avicii (Tim Bergling) spin live at The Music Box Hollywood. Perfect timing too because earlier in the day the new Leona Lewis track Collide was released, which caused a huge controversy due to the fact that the tune she is singing over is undeniably Avicii's Penguin. For more on the Leona Lewis vs. Avicii debate, check out this article: avicii-leona-lewis-controversy-fade-darkness

Of course he played most of his original tracks including Penguin/Fade into Darkness, ID (Levels), and his famous remix of Armin's Drowning. My favorite surprise of the night was getting to hear his new track Enough is Enough (Don't Give Up on Us), here's the link: Enough is Enough. However, I still have the same problem with Avicii that I had when I first saw him back in December- as a producer he works absolute wonders but as a DJ (who for the most part only plays his own tracks) he weaves from upbeat high-energy tracks straight into slow trance-like songs; I guess it's just personal preference but I prefer DJs to start off with their slower tracks (if they must include them at all) then gradually raise the key and energy-levels throughout the set.

Whether or not I was completely satisfied with his song order, he's clearly making a name for himself, with two sold-out shows in a row and lines down the block, everybody wanted to get inside and see the hype that is Avicii. Some highlights of the night? Avicii made it rain. The Music Box had sprinklers from the ceiling cover the crowd in water, which was awesome for my sweaty-mess of a self after dancing for hours but I could tell some other fans weren't too thrilled. Another awesome moment is when Avicii bent down under his tables to smoke a joint with a couple friends. He's got an undeniable stage presence and a dedicated fan base so I know he's only moving up. I can't wait to see what happens with the whole Leona Lewis controversy, hopefully he decides to sue.

*Just bought tickets to Chuckie at Music Box, Ingrosso at Wavehouse, Electric Zoo Music Festival in NYC, and Monster Massive - check back for lots of reviews :)

Dada Life at Playhouse

5th times a charm.. well, this time it was. I've been a huge Dada Life fan since I first saw them spin at Nocturnal last year. Since then I've been to every LA show they've had - am I a creepy fan? Whatever. I tweeted the Swedish duo before the show asking them to deliver a fresh set (since I've been there done that so many times) and they promptly responded "oops, now we're nervous. ;)". No need to be nervous when you're making roughly 10k a show. Maybe it was the close and personal setting that really drew me in but I'd have to say it was one of their best sets yet.

I've always said they should remix Gwen Stefani's This Sh*t is Bananas and they finally did! They also spun a remix of Xzibit's Alcoholic that had an epic drop followed by a crate of bananas being thrown out into the audience. Did I mention all of the giant inflatable bananas hanging from the ceiling? I also need to give Playhouse props on really stepping up their display; LED lights everywhere and even spelling out 'DADA LIFE' directly in front of the stage to give the feel of a larger festival set. Towards the end of the night special guest and friend of Dada Life - Avicii came up on stage. This of course drove the crowd wild and I'll luckily be able to see a full Avicii set this Friday at Music Box.  A few hours later and hair full of champagne, we stumbled out of Playhouse with my favorite remix of Kaskade's Dynasty still in my head. Thanks again guys for NEVER letting me down - it was one of the best Monday nights I've ever had!